SLO A SSESSMENT S TUDY W ORKSHOP D EVON A TCHISON, SLO C OORDINATOR August 20, :30-10:30 a.m. Room 523

W HAT ARE S TUDENT LEARNING O UTCOMES (SLO S )? ACCJC Definition: the knowledge, skills, abilities or attitudes that students have attained by the end of any set of college experiences – classes, programs, degrees and certificates or encounters with college services. SLOs articulate the major goals of each experience, require higher-level thinking skills and usually result in a product that can be evaluated.

W HAT ARE S TUDENT LEARNING O UTCOME A SSESSMENTS ? ACCJC Definition: the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. Assessments can be QUALITATIVE or QUANTITATIVE

S AMPLE A SSESSMENT M ETHODS DIRECT ASSESSMENT METHODS: Portfolio assessments Locally developed tests, including pre and post tests Juried reviews Internship evaluations Evaluations of capstone projects Standardized national examinations Licensure certifications/professional exams Course-embedded assessments DATA COLLECTION METHODS FOR DIRECT ASSESSMENT METHODS: Paper and pencil testing Essays and writing samples Logs and journals Portfolio collections of student work External evaluators Behavioral observations

W HY SHOULD WE A SSESS SLO S ? H OW ARE THEY USEFUL TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ? The Assessment cycle allows faculty to do the following: See data that tells faculty at what rate students are learning what we want them to learning and performing higher-level thinking in a way that will prepare them for the next-level classes they will be taking Make changes in information delivery, teaching methods, and foci to further student learning and performance

A FEW EXAMPLES OF SLO A SSESSMENT S TUDIES History 109 SLO: By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze and synthesize Modern American historical sources to formulate a historical thesis (Assessment via SHARED RUBRIC on thesis statements). Assessment Study: A shared rubric focusing on use of various primary sources and the sophistication of thesis (Did it restate the obvious? Did it use the primary sources to formulate a novel or complex thesis) was designed by HIST 109 instructors. One calibration session (sampling 50 essays graded by 2-3 instructors) was held to ensure that all HIST 109 instructors were using the rubric similarly. After the calibration session, instructors graded students’ thesis statements using the shared rubric, collected data on student success, and submitted anonymous data to History Dept. SLO Coordinator. A meeting was scheduled to discuss results during the Spring 2009 Flex Week.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF SLO A SSESSMENT S TUDIES Math 90: By the end of the course, students will be able to solve linear, quadratic, rational and radical equations, linear systems and linear inequalities.. (Assessment via QUIZ QUESTIONS) Assessment Study: A quiz consisting of 5 questions addressing linear equations was given in Fall 2006 to all math 90 students in Week 14. A committee then graded the quizzes using a grading rubric. The Department collected the data and decided to change the assessment tool in the Fall of 2007 because of time constraints. In the Fall of 2007, five questions were put on the Final Exams and a sample of randomly selected students’ exams were photocopied and graded with rubric. Assessment data was submitted to SLO Coordinator.

T HINGS TO R EMEMBER ABOUT SLO A SSESSMENTS : We have to assess each Course SLO; for your GATEWAY Course, select which SLO and which Course you will be assessing this semester. HAVE FUN! SLOs can help us be more effective instructors and help our students better understand what is expected of them and how to achieve their goals. Assessments help us to know how we’re doing and what we can change to make student learning more effective!

B REAKOUT S ESSIONS Find people in your department or work alone to begin drafting an ASSESSMENT STUDY for your Gateway Course. Figure out which SLO(s) you will study this semester. MATERIALS: Current Department SLOs Assessment Study Templates REMEMBER: Goal: Draft your Assessment study for ONE course, ONE SLO If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask!

N EXT S TEPS Bring what you’ve come up with to Department meetings and/or Dept. SLO Workshops Have colleagues review, revise and approve Assessment Studies Call Devon or the SLO Rapid Response Team with QUESTIONS Devon filled out templates or simply typed Word documents so we can show progress to ACCJC, preferably by the end of Flex Week